Shakespeare's Sonnet 73

Contrast ideas about Life in William Shakespeare’s Sonnet73 and John Keats’s Bright Star

Although John Keats and William Shakespeare wrote different styles of poems which are the Petrarchan sonnet and Shakespearean sonnet respectively, they are both famous for their sonnets. These two principle kinds of sonnets have certain format in their forms in general, so this essay will not cover that parts, and will concentrate on the differences of the contents. These two sonnets, “Bright Star, Would I Were Stedfast as Thou Art” by John Keats and “Sonnet 73: That Time of Year Thou Mayest in Me Behold” by William Shakespeare, have contrast ideas about human’s life. Firstly, William thinks that life is beautiful because it is mortal and have its’ ends. By the way, John thinks that if he cannot be immortal, he would rather die. Secondly, William thinks human life is a lot like with nature, but John thinks that nature is an ideal thing and only human can feel something, Thirdly, William thinks that human’s death is only a process of consuming and a part of life, however, John think his life is meaningful only when he is right next to his lover and death is another option when he cannot find the meaning of his life.

Firstly, the two sonnets’ reaction to the immortality of human life is different. In Sonnet 73, William connotes the death images throughout the sonnet. We can find that in “which by and by black night doth take away” (line 7) indirectly. Also he directly use the words like “death’s second self”(line 8), “the death-bed” (line11), and “must expire” (line 11). Such lines make the sonnet with melancholy and desolate images. In the end, however, he says this mortality which is limitation of human being makes thy love more strong (line 13), because we know our destiny, we could more cherish our moments with our lovers. He accepts the unchangeable reality and try to think it in a positive way. By the way John says in the sonnet “Bright Star” that he wants to be like...